A Prince And The Scientist
by Lily Hanson
Summary: It's not just the Rangers and the Aliens that want the energems. The Prince of Zandar is determined to take back what belongs to his land.
1. A Royal Nuisance

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers Dino Charge. This story is fan-made._

Shelby couldn't believe her opportunity as she walked into work that morning. The exhibit for the treasures of Zandar was being presented to the public and Kendall had asked her to lead the tours. It had nothing to do with dinosaurs, which frustrated Shelby a little, but Kendall had given her books to study the night before so Shelby could brush up on her knowledge. This was her chance to show Kendall she would work hard at anything she was given and that she could be trusted with more than just waiting tables and saving the world.

Though, the latter was a fairly huge responsibility, but that was beside the point.

The museum was packed as people waited in the lobby for the exhibits to open officially. There was a lot of muttering about the Treasures of Zandar, distracting Shelby somewhat from her attempt to rehearse her tour speech in her head. She had to make sure she got all the facts straight. She needed everything to go right today. If she successfully led this tour, Kendall had already promised to give her more chances to work the museum floor and hinted that, maybe, she would take Shelby on a future dig unrelated to Ranger duties.

Shelby passed the crowd of people and made her way to the exhibit. Right away, she noticed the Rangers standing around a display case that housed the gold Energem. She frowned deeply, joining the group.

"It's out in the open?"

"Circumstances aren't ideal," Kendall nodded her head, checking her clipboard with a sigh. "But the museum did promise the Stone of Zandar would be available and I haven't found the time to forge a double."

"And the yellow energem is too yellow," Tyler said.

"But, this is an energem," Shelby said. "We can't just have it here, can we?"

"I'm afraid so," Kendall sighed. "The Stone of Zandar is the reason for the turnout today. If I disappoint, the museum's going to get some bad publicity. With a Dino Lab to run, employees to pay and a caveman to feed, I need people to keep showing up."

"I am good hunter," Koda reminded Kendall, but she shook her head.

"You are, but even if I let you get your own food, the money I spend on you is the least of my worries. The energem needs to be on display, if just for today."

"After that, we'll keep the energem in the base, where it belongs," Chase said. "We've just got to get through today."

"I'll need you five to keep a close eye on the energem," Kendall stated. "Nothing should happen as long as it stays behind this glass, but this is a precious artifact and there are a ton of people outside. At least one of them is going to get some ideas."

Kendall then turned to Shelby, looking the pink Ranger directly in the eyes. "You especially need to be aware of what's going on around the energem at all times."

"Me?"

"You'll be leading the tours. You'll be in this room all day. Nothing's going to happen without you being there. The boys will be in an out, working the cafe and assisting in the other exhibits. Shelby, I'm counting on you."

Shelby looked to the energem a little nervously. This was a much bigger job than she had anticipated when Kendall offered her the position, but she couldn't turn it down now. Not only would she be disappointing her teammates, but she would be proving to Kendall that she didn't have what it took to work in the field.

"I'll watch it," she promised. Kendall gave her a little nod and faint smile. As she turned to Tyler to ask him to start letting guests into the museum, she heard a commotion from the front lobby. Frowning deeply, she led the way over and saw a well-dressed man pushing his way through the crowd. When an employee tried to stop him getting into the museum without a ticket, he scoffed and walked past him. The employee tried to follow him, but men dressed like secret service agents grabbed the employee.

"Whoa, what's going on here?" Kendall asked, stepping in front of the man while Tyler and Chase went to help out their co-worker. The man leading the charge looked to Kendall, then rolled his eyes.

"If I'm going to speak to anyone, it'll be the owner of this... dump."

Kendall crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the man, "You're speaking to her."

The man looked her up and down once, then scoffed.

"Sure," he snapped his fingers, at which the men who followed him in started grabbing artifacts from the Treasures of Zandar.

"Excuse me," Kendall frowned, following the man, ripping away the gold energem when he picked it out of the case. "What do you think you're doing?"

"You can't just take this stuff," Riley added. "These treasures belong to the royal family!"

The man looked to Riley, raising an eyebrow. Riley looked back, then noticed the way the man was dressed and the guards around him. "Oh."

"Starting to get the picture, are we?" the man scoffed. "I am Prince Phillip III of Zandar. The real prince, unlike those imposters this museum paraded around the other day."

Tyler looked away, trying to avoid eye contact with the prince. He had known his plan would be risky when he made it, but Zandar was such a small country and it was so far away, he doubted news of the Prince's visit would ever reach the real royal family. It seemed he was mistaken.

"Damn internet," he muttered. The Prince turned to him, eyeing him and Shelby specifically.

"Hold on. That was the two of you, was it not?"

Tyler didn't know what to say and looked to his teammates for help. No one could come up with a good excuse. It wasn't like they could mention to the Prince that his precious stone was an energem.

"Well," the Prince said, shaking his head. "It's a wonder anyone could mistake you for a prince."

"We no mean disrespect," Koda stated, catching the attention of the prince, who seemed completely disgusted by the blue Ranger's dishevelled look. His hair, as usual, was a mess and he was walking around the museum barefoot, having not yet found a reason to put on shoes.

"What do you know about respect?" he asked. "Look at you, filthy, you're shoeless. Were you born in a cave?"

Koda shook his head. "Born on mammoth hunt. Mother not have time to make it back to cave."

Kendall sighed, slapping her hand to her forehead. Most found Koda endearing when they met him, and fortunately were more than willing to believe his caveman demeanour was just a joke or a charming feature for the museum. However, the Prince seemed to take offense. He dismissed Koda, brushing past him with utter disgust before snatching the energem from Kendall's hand. "The courage of a knight has made this stone a legend. None of you peasants are worthy!"

By now, the man's guards had collected up the rest of the treasures. The Prince, with the energem in hand, led the way out of the museum, with the Rangers following quickly behind him. Koda growled, ready to do whatever it took to get the energem back, but Kendall grabbed his arm. She and the Rangers watched as the Prince climbed into his limo and began to drive off.

"Alright, this isn't my fault," Shelby said, turning to Kendall.

"We're not just going to let them take off with the energem, are we?" Riley asked. Kendall shrugged her shoulders. She wasn't sure what she would do now, but knew the museum couldn't handle any fuss. It was bad enough an entire exhibit had been ripped away from her while a lobby full of guests were waiting.


	2. Kendall's Friends

Cammy looked to Kendall not in her usual awe, but one of confusion and disbelief.

"And you just let them walk out of here with an energem? Stones you've risked your butt for, and he gets to take one because he's a prince?"

"A snobby one at that," Shelby muttered, rolling her eyes. "He thinks, just because he was born into a specific family, he gets to take what he pleases?"

"Technically, in this case, he can," Riley said. "If the treasures belong to him..."

"The museum bought them."

"We bought them off the team who discovered them. Not the royal family," Kendall shook her head. "If the Prince of Zandar wants his treasures back, there's nothing I can really do to stop him. Trying to do so would only result in negative publicity for the museum. That's the last thing we need."

"Attention, and bad press at that," Tyler nodded. He agreed with Kendall to an extent. Fighting for the energem at the time had been pointless. All the treasures, the energem included, belonged to the Royal Family of Zandar. The museum had already taken a hit when Fury attacked just outside the doors; it couldn't take more drama. People would stop showing up; worried something else bad would happen while they were visiting.

"But this Phillip guy can't just take the energem!" Cammy said. "What if Fury comes after him? We could lose the gold energem, and then what?"

"We hope Fury doesn't know the energem is out of our hands," Kendall shrugged. "But, just in case, it would be a good idea to track Prince Phillip down. At the very least, we can hope to convince him to let us keep the energem."

"How are we going to do that?" Shelby asked, rolling her eyes again as she thought of the Prince. "He's so arrogant and selfish. And with that stick he's got shoved so far up his ass, it'll be impossible to convince him to let anything go, never mind the Stone of Zandar."

"You said ass..." Cammy whispered under her breath.

"I'll try talking to him," Kendall stated, but Chase jumped to his feet.

"You?"

"What's wrong with me?"

"We hope Fury doesn't know we've lost the energem," Chase said. "But if he or Sledge find out, they're going to come in and try to steal it themselves. You've just gotten the cast off your foot, do you really want it to come back on?"

"Or worse," Koda added. Kendall sighed.

"Alright, you five go. But just... try to be gentle. If we can convince the Prince to let us keep the energem peacefully, that would be ideal. No muss, no fuss."

"Come on, guys," Tyler said, leading the Rangers out of the lab. Kendall watched them go, feeling a little disappointed they hadn't let her join them. Cammy noticed the look and walked over to Kendall's work station, leaning against the desk.

"It's not a bad thing," she said. "You're safe down here. I'm happy."

"Sometimes, I wish I could do more," Kendall admitted to her. "Fury doesn't scare me. Sledge doesn't scare me. I bargain with people like Prince Phillip all the time for precious artifacts. Hell, it's my job. I could have convinced him to give up the energem."

"So can they. And they'll be safer if Fury or Sledge show up. Besides, you do enough. They're Power Rangers thanks to you."

"Thanks to the energems."

"Yeah, but the energems only let them morph. You give them weapons and chargers and plans and all that other cool stuff they couldn't do on their own."

"I know what I do, Cammy. I'm proud of the work I've accomplished for the Rangers. But... I don't like this."

"What?" Cammy asked, then noticed the look on Kendall's face. She glanced to the elevator where the Rangers had taken off and smiled. "You like them?"

"I blame you," Kendall muttered. "Ever since we got paired up at that mentorship thing, I've been feeling... different."

"Different how?"

"I've never wanted the Rangers getting hurt," Kendall said. "I don't think I could live with myself if anything ever did happen to them. But lately, it's been less about the guilt and more about the... friendships."

"You have friends!" Cammy cried out excitedly. "I knew it! I knew you would admit it soon!"

"You knew?"

"When the Rangers fought that puzzle monster," Cammy said, "And you couldn't reach them and you were so scared. I figured out they meant a lot more to you than you let on."

"Before, I was fine with my work in the lab. I would give them the weapons and the technology to defend themselves and guide them through their battles. It was easier before they made me care. Now, it's not enough. I sit back here, I pray my inventions work. I pray I'm not leading them into trouble, or that my advice doesn't get them killed. I feel sick when I watch them go out to battle, Cammy and I just wish I could do more. I wish I hadn't lost the purple energem."

"You'll find it again," Cammy said. "And if it bonded to you once, it'll have to bond with you again, right?"

"There's no guarantee."

"But... it has to. Your favourite colour is purple and you love the plesiosaur. You already know how the energems work and you can kick ass."

"Cammy!"

"Shelby said it first!" Cammy whined then shook her head. "You'll find the purple energem. It'll bond to you. Then, you'll be able to help the Rangers all the time. Down here and on the battle field. You'll be the best Ranger they've ever seen!"

"I hope you're right," Kendall nodded her head before hearing an alarm go off. She rushed to her computer, pulling up footage from a dirt road a couple of miles beyond the town. The Rangers were in a fight against Fury, Poisandra, Curio, Wrench and a couple of Viviks. It seemed their enemies had picked up on the open energem and this time, they were determined not to lose it.

The Rangers presence meant there was a good chance the energem would remain in safe hands. However, with Prince Phillip and his men in the area, none of the Rangers thought to morph. They couldn't risk revealing their identities – a rule Kendall had drilled into each and every one of them on their first day as Rangers.

A rule she was more than willing to break now. She picked up her headset, quickly turning it on to speak with the Rangers.

"Morph! Now!"

The Rangers didn't hear her. Her voice was coming through their Dino Coms, but with the fight, she doubted she was loud enough. She shook her head and raced out of the lab. Cammy watched her go.

"Wait! Kendall! You can't..." Cammy turned to the screen and saw the Rangers weren't doing well in the fight. By now, it had dawned on them to morph, but the monsters weren't given them a chance. Every time a Ranger reached for their morpher, it was kicked from their hands.

It was a losing battle, with an energem on the line. Cammy wasn't sure what to do in this situation, but she had a bad feeling it wasn't going to end well.


	3. Fight For The Energem

Prince Phillip was on the ground, looking up in terror as a cat-like beast stood over him. Though the other monsters had retreated once the museum workers showed up and put up a fight, this one had taken them out, leaving them writhing in agony on the ground and he had easily defeated the Prince's guards. Phillip was on his own, terrified of what the monster would do to him.

"The energem," Fury growled, holding out his hand. The Prince shook his head, unsure of what was being demanded of him.

"I don't know what you..."

"Hand it over, human," Fury said. He reached out, grabbing the prince by his jacket and lifting him to his feet. The Prince cried out in terror while the monster searched his pockets.

"Fury!"

Prince Phillip was dropped to the ground before Fury could get what he wanted as someone called out to the beast. Fury turned around, seeing Kendall stepping out of her truck. The Prince couldn't believe his eyes as another museum worked seemed foolish enough to try and take on the angry monster alone.

"You," Fury growled and turned his back on the Prince, seemingly forgetting about him and the energem while he was distracted with Kendall. She nodded her head, then pulled something from her pocket. When she showed it to Fury, he cried out in frustration.

"But you... How?"

"Did you really think I would let some Prince take off with an energem?" Kendall asked with a little scoff, hiding how nervous she was. Fury didn't scare her, but her plan failing did. She was holding up the yellow energem, praying that in this light, it seemed golden enough to fool the big cat. "Leave the Prince and my friends alone, and it's yours."

"Just like that?" Fury asked a little unconvinced. Last time he had found her with an energem, she had preferred to be buried with it than to give it up. Now, she seemed more than willing to trade it for the Rangers and the Prince.

"Isn't that what you want?" Kendall asked. "The gold energem?"

She set the yellow energem down then took a couple of steps back. Fury eyed it carefully.

"You better be right about this, scientist," he said as he made his way towards the energem. Kendall, meanwhile, started to walk to the Rangers and the Prince, though never took her eyes off Fury, just because she couldn't trust him. Fury watched her, trying to see if she was attempting to pull something on him. "If you deceive me, those Rangers won't be able to protect you."

He watched her reaction. If he saw fear or panic, he would know this was a trick. But Kendall didn't show any emotion. His threat didn't seem to worry her at all. So Fury picked up the energem, believing since Kendall had nothing to fear that she was actually giving up. Once it was in his hands, he disappeared.

"Thank goodness," Kendall breathed out a heavy sigh of relief then rushed to her friends, dropping by their side. She touched Koda's shoulder, hoping he would respond. "Please, be okay."

"Fury hit harder than mammoth," Koda answered her through grit teeth, but started to sit up. "But, will be okay."

"And the rest of you?" Kendall asked, looking around at the Rangers. They were starting to get up too, and though they seemed to be in a great deal of pain, Kendall felt relieved to see them moving around on their own. As she helped Koda to his feet, she noticed the shadow of the Prince coming up behind her. She didn't know what to say to him just yet, nor did she feel the need to try to explain anything until she could be certain the Rangers were alright. The Prince, however, had something else in mind.

"I demand to know what that was. Who was that beast? What's an energem? Why did he come after me?"

"He wants the Stone," Kendall explained. When Koda was up, she pointed to her truck. "I'll take you Rangers back to the museum and check you out there..."

"No one's leaving here until I get my answers," the Prince grabbed Kendall's arm, spinning her around. "Why did that beast come after me?"

"I told you," Kendall said, ripping her arm from his grip then grabbing Shelby gently to help her to the truck. "He wants your Stone. Once he finds out he's not got it, he'll come back."

"The Stone of Zandar?" the Prince pulled the energem from his pocket, examining it closely. "You mean... the legend is true? That beast still exists? And he wants my Stone."

The Prince looked to his guards, and seeing they were barely able to pick themselves up after the fight, he doubted they would be able to protect them.

"Then you must protect me."

"Hand over the energem," Kendall told him, but the Prince shook his head.

"This stone belongs to my kingdom. My bloodline. Some pathetic peasant like you isn't worthy of this Stone."

"This pathetic peasant and her friends just saved your life," Kendall reminded him. "Now, either hand over the Stone or come with me."

-Dino-Charge-

"Nothing's broken," Kendall assured Riley after getting a close look at his scans. "You'll be sore for a few hours, but nothing permanent. You got lucky."

"Try telling that to my jaw," Riley said, rubbing his face, though it did nothing to ease the pain.

"You should have morphed sooner," Kendall told him before she turned to Cammy, who was playing nurse with the scrap on Chase's arm. "How's it coming, Cammy?"

"If he'd stop squirming, I'd be done by now," Cammy muttered and tried again to dab a cotton ball of hydrogen peroxide on his wound. But Chase pulled his arm away, making her job a lot harder. "Stop it, Chase!"

"It hurts."

"It hurts a lot less than cutting your whole arm off," Cammy told him as she picked up the pair of scissors she had used to cut the bandage. "Your choice."

Chase gulped but ultimately pointed to the cotton ball. Cammy dabbed it on his arm to clean off some debris before she placed a band-aid over the wound. When that was done, she offered Chase a grape lollipop from her pocket. As he excitedly began to suck on it, he noticed the looks from his teammates. He rolled his eyes, "What? I hate blood, alright?"

"This place is fascinating," Prince Phillip announced as he walked around the lab, admiring everything in sight. From the fossils in the walls, to the caves, to the technology, there was nothing here that didn't spark a thousand questions. "So, this would be your base of operations?"

"Dino Lab," Koda told him, flexing his arm, just to test his range of motion. "Kendall build everything. Even home for me."

"And you have all this, just to protect my Stone?" Prince Phillip asked. The Rangers looked to each other before producing their energems from around their necks. Prince Phillip stood in awe when he saw they were identical except in colour to the Stone of Zandar. "You mean, there are more?"

"Ten, total," Tyler explained. "And as you've probably noticed, some really bad people are after these energems."

"We have the technology here to keep them safe," Kendall stated. "We also have the technology to locate the remaining four energems that have yet to be discovered. Your energem is just one of many."

"Though, it appears the gold energem has not chosen to bond with you," Keeper announced, appearing suddenly from Koda's cave. Prince Phillip turned around and as soon as he saw the alien he jumped back, pressing himself against the wall fearfully. The Rangers rolled their eyes, but Cammy laughed.

"You're just a big scaredy cat."

"That's a monster!" the Prince said, pointing to Keeper.

"The Stone of Zandar may have belonged to your family," Keeper said. "But it's clear it has chosen someone else. Whoever shares a bond with the energem is its true owner."

"And who is to say the energem didn't bond with me?" Prince Phillip asked, looking a little offended by Keeper's comments.

"Can you morph?" Kendall asked him. "Do you feel an overwhelming urge of power, or a connection to the pterodactyl, despite them being extinct for over several millions of years?"

"Do you see dead dinosaurs?" Cammy whispered to Prince Phillip. He looked to her and shook his head fearfully.

"Who are you?"

"The rightful owner of the gold energem," Cammy said, snatching the stone from his hand and bringing it over to Kendall. "At least, that would be cool if I was."

"Prince Phillip," Kendall held up the gold energem. "We appreciate what this stone means to you and your family. And we thank your country for letting the museum host it in our latest exhibit. But it's extremely important you let us keep it here. The fate of the planet..."

"Fate, schmate," the Prince scoffed, snatching the energem back on his way out. "You guys seem to have this monster situation under control. Just make sure they don't come after me until I've boarded my royal jet. Once the Stone is back in Zandar, where it belongs, no one will be able to steal it. Not you, not some hideous beasts, and certainly not a hobo!"

"No," Koda shook his head as he corrected the Prince, "Caveman. I have home."

"Whatever," the Prince said as he took off.

"You can't just leave! Fury's going to come after you and he'll kill you for sure next time!" Cammy called after him, but the Prince didn't stop. Kendall sighed and turned to the Rangers. She had been about to ask them to follow the Prince and keep him safe but saw they were still a little tender as they moved around and knew they were going to need a little more time to rest before they were up to facing Fury again.

"At least let me drive you to the airport, then," Kendall told him, picking up her bag and her keys. "At least if I'm with you, Fury's going to be more concerned with the fact that I deceived him than he will be with you."

"Do you know how to drive a limo?" the Prince asked her. "I don't ride in anything... pedestrian."

"You can sit in the back of my truck."

"I..."

"Or, you can walk, and increase the chances that monster shows up demanding the energem."


	4. A Deal For The Prince

Kendall wasn't sure what the plan was from here on out. Prince Phillip seemed insistent on keeping the gold energem in his possession. While that wouldn't have been much of a problem if he had bonded with it, the fact that he hadn't meant he and the energem were both in danger. The Prince would have no way of defending it or himself if Fury or Sledge were to show up.

The ride to the airport was rather quiet. Prince Phillip didn't seem to be in the mood to talk, and Kendall was still trying to come up with a way to convince him to hand over the energem. But, eventually, the Prince did break the silence. He looked up from the energem, making eye contact with Kendall through the rear-view mirror.

"This... Power Ranger stuff," he started. "What exactly does it entail?"

 _Not screaming in terror when a monster demands one of the most precious gems in the universe._

"Defending the planet," Kendall answered. "Tracking down the remaining energems and the people they've chosen to bond with. Ensuring the energems stay out of the monster's hands."

"So, hero work?"

"I guess you can call it hero work," Kendall said. "Though we're just doing what needs to be done. Our energems chose us for a reason."

"So, you've got your own as well?"

Kendall shook her head with a little sigh, "No. I don't have one."

"So, you have no powers to speak of?"

"I create the Rangers' weapons," she explained. "I build the chargers, the armour..."

"So, there's no real bravery there?" the Prince chuckled. "You hide in that base of yours and let the others do the real work?"

"I feel the need to remind you that if I hadn't shown up..."

"You played a trick on the monster," the Prince interrupted her. "My jester could do that, and he knows nothing of these energems or whatever they're called."

"Your jester?" Kendall wanted to slam the breaks and smash the Prince's head into the seat before him, but resisted the temptation. Instead, she thought of Shelby's point about royalty when she had to play the part of the princess. It seemed she had been onto something with her comments.

"If the others already have their own energem, and you're just... well, I don't know what you do, then why should I give this energem to you? What makes you worthy of the Stone of Zandar?"

 _I think it says a lot about me that I'm not turning around to punch you in the face right now._

"I have the means to protect it. I may not have powers like the others, but..."

"I have great power. As Prince, I've got a fleet of guards, ready to do anything it takes to defend me and my kingdom. This energem belongs to that kingdom. It will be safer in my hands."

Prince Phillip turned to look out the window, confident with his decision to keep the energem. Once he returned home with his guards, he had no reason to believe any harm would come to him or the energem. It wasn't long before he was proven wrong, as the truck came to a sudden stop and the Prince found himself being thrown into the seat before him. The padding softened the blow, leaving him only slightly shaken, but when he looked to the front seat he could already see the danger hadn't passed. The car hadn't just crashed. Fury, the monster from before, had shown himself, stopping the vehicle and ripping Kendall from her seat.

"The energem you gave me was yellow!" Fury shouted, firing just a blast of energy Kendall's way. She rolled to the side, avoiding trouble, but the Prince got a good look at what would have happened to her when he saw the ground she had been laying on blow up. He felt the energem in his pocket and knew that was what the monster was looking for.

"Close enough, right?" Kendall asked, getting to her feet. "Yellow, gold, it's practically the same when it glows."

"Perhaps I'd forgive you if it truly was the yellow energem," Fury shouted, throwing another blast of energy her way. "But the energem's a fake! You've been fooling me this whole time! I warned you, scientist!"

The Prince watched the scene from the back seat of the truck. He thought about leaving while the monster was distracted with Kendall, but feared if he stepped outside, he would be the target. He did have the energem on his person, and he had every intention of keeping it.

Suddenly, the truck shook. The Prince jumped and looked out the window again only to find the monster had thrown Kendall into the truck and was preparing to blast her. Seeing he was in the line of fire, the Prince opened the door and rushed out.

"You," Fury growled, seeing the Prince taking off and felt the power of the energem go with him. But when he tried to run after the Prince, Kendall kicked him in the back.

"I have had enough of you!" Fury roared as he turned around, grabbing Kendall and wrapping his arm around her neck. Then he shot at the Prince, hitting the ground right at his feet, causing him to trip up. Fury created another ball of energy and held it up. "You!" he called to the Prince. "Hand over the energem now or I will kill your scientist!"

The Prince reached into his pocket. Kendall shook her head.

"Don't do it!"

"Silence!"

Prince Phillip examined the energem, then looked to Fury and Kendall.

"She's not my scientist," he said before getting to his feet to run the other way. Kendall's eyes widened. She didn't want to be traded for the energem, but she at least expected the Prince to struggle over the decision. He seemed not to care that her life was in danger, as long as he continued to hold onto the energem.

"I'll deal with him later," Fury threw Kendall to the ground and lifted his hand, preparing his attack. However, before he could finish her off, the blue Ranger jumped him, taking him to the ground with a powerful tackle.

"No hurt Kendall," he growled before angrily facing off against Fury. Kendall got to her feet and rushed to the other Rangers, glad to see they had made it in time, but worried over their injuries. She had only just finished tending to them and insisting they take time to rest. Now, they were up against Fury again.

"We'll be fine," Chase assured her, seeing the worried look in her eyes. "We've got our energems. You just get the gold one back from that Prince."

"We'll keep Fury busy," Tyler said.

"Stay safe," Kendall told them just before running off after the Prince.


	5. The Gold Energem

Tyler could barely stand to watch as Sir Ivan, the new gold Ranger, defeated the Viviks and challenged Fury. The glow of energy from within Fury had finally conquered the beast, allowing the person trapped inside to escape and, for once, Tyler found nothing to be happy about.

His father had disappeared years ago, leaving behind nothing but his notebook with sketches in Fury's image. Tyler had always known that monster knew something about is father. When he became a Ranger, and heard of Fury and his quest for the energems, he was certain that if he defeated Fury, he would get the chance to figure out what happened to his father as well as where he was, if he was still alive.

Tyler wanted answers more than anything. He missed his father more than anything, and would do whatever it took to get his father back. When he saw there was some type of energy trapped inside Fury, and that energy took on the shape of a human the more it tried to break free, Tyler was convinced it had to be his father. After all, he had run into Fury just before disappearing. The monster was on one of the last pages in his father's notes. And Fury was heartless. Taking the spirit of an innocent man would be just like him.

He had hesitate to defeat Fury once, sacrificing the Ptera Charger and Zord in his belief that the man trapped inside Fury was his father. He was beginning to regret that decision as Sir Ivan summoned the PteraZord. While his friends watched in awe, Tyler clenched his fists. He was now no closer to finding his father than when he first stumbled upon Fury and his energem and he felt Sir Ivan was to blame.

-Dino-Charge-

Kendall caught up with the Prince in the woods and grabbed his arm. She was not happy with him at all, but had to conceal it. She needed the energem in his possession and doubted yelling and screaming would be effective with him.

"This is just going to keep happening," she warned him while she pointed to the pocket where he kept the gold energem. "Fury's not going to stop until he's got that energem. He'll kill you to get it."

"Once I get back to my palace..."

"You don't think he'll follow you to Zandar?" Kendall asked. "He and those other monsters have waited over 65 million years for this chance to find the energems. They've travelled across many galaxies just to get here. You don't think they'll make the trip to Zandar?"

"Should they, I'll have my guards to..."

"Your guards won't be enough," Kendall shook her head. "My Rangers have the power to hold Fury and Sledge and his team off. And I've got the technology to make sure they're able to keep up. You don't have that in Zandar! Prince Phillip, I understand that Stone is important to you and your kingdom, but for your safety..."

"The Prince won't be safe for much longer," Sledge announced as he appeared a few feet away, with Poisandra, Curio and Wrench at his side. He looked to Kendall and Prince Phillip, frowning deeply. "You're who Fury can't defeat; mere humans with no power to speak of?"

"Who is that?" the Prince asked as he pointed to Sledge. This monster was much bigger than Fury, with thick, heavy armour that covered him almost from head to toe, leaving very little skin – if it could be called that – exposed.

"Sledge;" Kendall said, "the other monster after the energems. If you think Fury is scary, just wait."

"Hand over the energem," Sledge held out his hand, "And no one gets hurt."

The Prince reached into his pocket, getting one more look at the stone. The Legend behind the Stone brought great honour to his kingdom, and the Stone was extremely valuable. Until it had been lost, his family had treasured it, refusing to let anyone unworthy to even look at the stone, much less hold it. When the stone had disappeared from the Kingdom, all the guards responsible for protecting it, as well as the Prince's great uncle were executed, as it had been believed they were to blame. Now that the Stone had been discovered again, the Prince needed to bring it back to his kingdom. He wanted to be the hero, to have his name remembered throughout the country for the rest of time.

This energem; the Stone of Zandar, would give him great power and glory. So he clutched it tightly in his hands, shaking his head.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Kendall cried out, rolling her eyes. She pointed to Sledge, "I can't protect you from _him_!"

"You'll have to try, right?" the Prince asked, causing Kendall to frown deeply. She had no idea what he meant, until the Prince suddenly started to run the other way, taking the energem with him. Seeing him leave, Sledge growled and raced after the Prince. Kendall watched him go then turned to Sledge. She had no idea how she would do it, but she needed to slow him down. She needed to keep him as far away from the Prince as she could until the other Rangers showed up.

"Go Sledgeums!" Poisandra cheered, jumping in excitement as she watched her fiancé go after the Prince, and Kendall got an idea. She quickly picked up a tree branch, ran to Poisandra and swung, hitting the heart-shaped alien as hard as she could. Poisandra cried out, more in shock and annoyance than pain and turned on Kendall. And though she was more than capable of defending herself, hearing his fiancée scream got Sledge's attention. He stopped his run for the Prince and turned to Kendall.

Kendall looked to the monsters before her, gulping nervously. She had bought the Prince time, though she wasn't sure how much. But his time had come at a great cost to herself. Her only hope now was that the Rangers could quickly stop Fury and find her.

"The things I do for energems," she muttered.

-Dino-Charge-

The Prince ran as fast as his legs could carry him, away from the new monster that wanted his energem. The stone seemed to be more work than it was worth, but the Prince was still convinced his efforts would be rewarded when he finally got the energem home.

He had no idea where he was running, but eventually found himself back on the road where Fury had attacked. The Rangers, along with a new face, were standing in a circle. Fury was nowhere to be seen, so the Prince assumed it was safe. He ran up to the Rangers, stopping midway when he recognized the face of the stranger.

Sir Ivan, the brave knight who fought the monster to protect the Prince and the Stone of Zandar long ago was a hero in his kingdom. His face had been painted on a mural in the palace and there was a celebration every year on the day of his disappearance to honour his courage. He was thought to have died in the fight, but even if he had somehow survived, so much time had passed, there was no way he could be the man standing with the Rangers.

Yet, the armour belonged to Zandar, and there was no mistaking his face. Prince Phillip would never forget the face of his land's greatest hero. Suddenly, all the pieces came together: the Stone of Zandar as the energem, Fury as the monster who had attacked the Prince all those years ago.

The Rangers weren't kidding. Kendall hadn't been kidding. These energems were precious and held a lot more power than he could imagine. If some monster was willing to search for them for 800 years, or 65 million, if Kendall could be trusted, then there had to be a lot more to them than just a cool story. The Prince took the energem from his pocket once more, looking to it with a sigh. It held more power than he wished to be responsible for and it had put his life in danger on more than one occasion now. He approached the Rangers, but looked to the Knight in particular.

Sir Ivan was already baffled by what was going on. He had had some level of awareness while trapped inside Fury, and knew a lot of time had passed since that fateful day by the creek. However, despite his confusion, one thing was certain: the man walking towards him belonged to Zandar. The clothes were much different from what he remembered, but there was no mistaking royalty. Sir Ivan dropped to his knee, bowing respectfully.

"I am at your service, your highness."

The Prince gave a little nod of acknowledgement then gave the energem one last look. Sir Ivan had been the one to find it all those years ago. He had fearlessly fought the monster Fury to protect it. The energem belonged to him – or at the very least, would be safe in his hands. The Prince gestured for Sir Ivan to rise, then presented to him the energem.

"This energem belongs to you," he stated. Sir Ivan looked to the stone, a little baffled as to why the Prince would be giving him such a precious gift. 800 years ago, it had been the Prince who had demanded the energem from him. "Do with it what you will."

Sir Ivan nodded, holding the energem firmly in his hand, promising to keep it safe. Prince Phillip, trusting the Knight, smiled, then turned to leave.

"Wait," Chase called after him. "Where's Kendall? She went after you."

The Prince looked to the woods, then lowered his head, shaking it softly.

"I don't know," he whispered. "I never saw her."

With that, he took off, moving as quickly as he could without being obvious he was trying to run away. He had caused a lot of trouble over an energem he no longer wanted to keep. He couldn't bear to face the consequences of those actions.

When he was gone, Sir Ivan looked down at the stone, then placed it in his bag before he started to walk away. Riley frowned, seeing this.

"Where are you going?" he asked. The Prince looked back.

"I was held prisoner inside of Fury for 800 years," he said. "It doesn't matter where I'm going, as long as it's the path I have chosen."

"Let him go," Tyler muttered to his teammates before turning around himself to leave. He was still furious he was no closer to finding his father, and now that the spirit inside Fury had been revealed as Sir Ivan, Tyler felt he was back to square one. His father was somewhere out there, and it would be a long journey still before he was found – a fact that frustrated Tyler to no end.

Having Sir Ivan around would only serve to remind him of that frustration. As long as the energem remained safe in the Knight's hands, he was convinced the team was better off without him.

"I guess we should head back," Chase nodded his head. He reached for his Dino Com. "Kendall, we've got the gold energem. You can stop looking for the Prince, now."

There was a delayed response from Kendall's Dino Com, and when the Rangers did get an answer, it wasn't from her. Cammy's face appeared on the screen and she looked more than nervous.

"You guys have to get back. Now."

"What wrong?" Koda asked, looking over Chase's shoulder.

"Kendall got in a fight with Sledge," Cammy looked off to the side worriedly, then back at the Rangers. "And she kind of lost."


	6. A Wrap-Up

Kendall paused her work, taking a deep breath as she removed her glasses. Her head was aching and every fibre of her being hurt, but with news of the gold Energem being in the hands of the person it bonded to, and Sir Ivan winning the Ptera Charger and Zord back from Fury, Kendall needed a way to keep track of the energem. She knew she could trust whomever it had bonded with to keep it safe, but just in case, she needed a way to learn of trouble as soon as possible.

"You gotta stop," Cammy begged her, pushing her desk chair over, inviting Kendall to sit. "You're going to hurt yourself."

"I'm fine, Cammy," Kendall assured her. She put her glasses back on but the keys on her laptop were still dancing around. She shook her head and gave into Cammy's request, taking a seat before she passed out. Keeper approached her, offering her a drink. Kendall looked inside the cup with a frown.

"I insist," Keeper told her. "It's a vile taste, but it will help with the pain. You must drink it, especially if you refuse to rest."

Kendall nodded her head, pinched her nose and downed the drink as quickly as she could. When she had found herself face to face with Sledge, Keeper had shown up, saving her from certain death in the nick of time. She was alive and would recover fully thanks to him. The least she could do was drink his medicine.

Even if it made her feel sick doing so. She almost spit the drink out, needing to force herself to swallow it before looking up at Keeper.

"This tastes like shit," she set the cup down and pushed it as far as her arm would reach. "Literal shit. Actually, I'd rather eat shit."

"Maybe next time, you'll let Sledge go after the stupid Prince," Cammy told her, taking the cup and sniffing what was left of the drink. She immediately regretted doing so as her face turned green.

"I couldn't let him get the energem," Kendall insisted, looking to Keeper. He nodded his head. He understood Kendall's actions, wishing only that she hadn't been alone when she faced Sledge, Poisandra, Curio and Wrench by herself. Protecting the energems came first, at all costs, but Keeper still didn't want to imagine what it would mean, or how he would feel, if anything happened to the team. Kendall especially. He had had no say in who the energems chose to bond to. The Rangers had been pulled into this fight by a force beyond his control. While he still wanted to do everything in his power to keep his team safe, they weren't in danger because of him.

At least, not directly. He had been the one to lose the energems in the first place, but the Rangers hadn't been hand chosen. They had earned their position. Their respective energems seemed to believe they each had what it took to protect the planet.

Keeper has sought out Kendall and brought her into this life. He had followed her for years, admiring her passion and dedication to her work, as well as her knowledge and understanding of life before and after humans began to walk the Earth. He had waited a long time to find someone he could take under his wing, and who could help him protect the energems. And while Kendall was the perfect candidate, she was still only human. She had no powers to rely on, yet seemed just as determined, if not more, as the Rangers to keep the planet safe.

If anything happened to her as a result of the energems, Keeper would be directly responsible. Jumping in and sparing her from Sledge's full fury was the least he could do to repay her.

Just then, the doors to the elevator opened as the Rangers rushed out. Seeing Kendall, they ran over, swallowing her in a big group hug. Kendall groaned as the Rangers crushed her already tender body, but they didn't let up.

Not that she particularly wanted them to. Facing down Sledge had been the scariest thing she had had to do and she had been desperate for the Rangers to show up. Though it was after the fact, and she was already safe thanks to Keeper, she was glad to have them around.

However, when Koda got into a good position to give her and the others a big squeeze, it was time for the hug to end.

"You're crushing me," she managed to get out and the Rangers let her go. They looked her up and down, worriedly counting her bruises.

"Cammy said you fought Sledge," Chase told her. "How are you... I mean..."

"Keeper," Kendall stated.

"Though it was a really close call," Cammy added, glaring at Keeper. "For someone who can teleport, you are pretty slow."

"All that matters now is the gold energem is safe," Keeper stated, looking to the Rangers with relief. "I trust Ivan will be able to handle the responsibility."

"You know he's got the energem, then?" Riley asked. Keeper nodded his head.

"It's a good thing he was able to free himself from Fury when he did. Better, even, that we were able to recover the Ptera Charger and the PteraZord. With four more energems still to be found, it will be good having all the help we can get."

"Only he's taken off," Shelby said.

"Can't blame him," Koda shook his head. "Not stuck for as long as me, but still a long time. He probably want to explore."

"He can enjoy his freedom," Kendall stated. "Now that Fury knows the energem has bonded, he should leave well enough alone. As long as Ivan understands the responsibility he bears."

"Sir Ivan," Shelby corrected her, earning a glare from Kendall and a look from the other Rangers. "What? You insist we call you Ms. Morgan, so..."

"Either way," Kendall rolled her eyes, "The gold energem should be safe. Once I'm done here, we'll be able to know immediately if that changes."

"Once you're done?" Chase asked. "You mean, you're working?"

"Like that?" Koda added.

"Fury doesn't rest," Kendall said. "And with Ivan on his own..."

"Sir Ivan," Shelby corrected again. "He is a Knight."

"With _Sir_ Ivan on his own, we've got to do what we can from here to protect him," Kendall insisted.

"Well, if he's a knight, then he fights dragons and monsters already," Cammy pointed out. "He can protect himself already, right?"

"Kid's got a point," Chase nodded, despite the look Kendall was giving him. Cammy's idea of knights was far from true. While she was sure Ivan had faced danger and death before, she doubted he was truly prepared for Fury and Sledge. Chase, nor any of the Rangers seemed willing to argue with her, though. Taking Cammy's point as truth and insisting she rest up.

"I will keep an eye on Sir Ivan," Keeper insisted. "You Rangers have managed to find another energem. We are now more than halfway through our mission. I believe that deserves a celebration."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Shelby smiled and led the way to the elevator. She wasn't sure what the plan was for the rest of the day, but she was determined to do something fun. Riley and Koda were right behind her, eager for the rest of the day off.

"You're coming with us," Chase insisted to Kendall. She gave a little nod.

"I guess, if there's nothing else to do..."

"Sweet as," Chase smiled.

"Just let me grab my books. I'll meet you up there."

Chase smiled before grabbing Cammy and playfully putting her on his shoulder as he walked out. Kendall picked up her bags and was ready to follow the Rangers out when she noticed there was still one in the Lab. Keeper had already disappeared, and she figured he would be watching Ivan in his own way. She wasn't sure why Tyler would want to be alone, especially when it seemed the Rangers had a fun day planned.

"You're not coming?"

"I don't really feel like it," he shook his head. He sat at the table, taking the picture of himself and his father from his pocket. Kendall sat with him.

"Ivan was the one trapped inside Fury, wasn't he?"

"I was right about it being a human," Tyler said. He looked to Kendall. "I was convinced it was my dad."

"I guess, logically, if Fury was able to charge up the energem, that had to mean he somehow had a connection with it. Unless your father had been the one to bond..."

"There was a chance, right?" Tyler asked. "I mean, we had no way of knowing it would be anyone else. And with the way my father disappeared... I was sure, Ms. Morgan. I thought, for sure, it had to be him."

"So Ivan's a disappointment?"

"I guess you can say that," Tyler muttered. "And if he's the one trapped inside of Fury, what does that mean for my dad?"

"It means he's still out there," Kendall insisted. "And we will find out what happened to him."

"Only now, the odds he's dead are higher," Tyler said with a shake of his head. "At least, when I thought he was trapped inside Fury, I knew he was alive. Ms. Morgan, what if he isn't? What if this whole time he was... gone?"

"I don't know," Kendall shrugged her shoulders, and her answer was a little too honest for Tyler. Yet, for some reason, it was refreshing. Kendall did give him a bit of a smile. "We'll cross that bridge once we get there. If we get there. For now, we'll continue looking for your father. Dead or alive, there's got to be a way to find out what happened to him."

"You'll do that?"

"Of course," Kendall nodded. Tyler smiled.

"Thanks, Ms. Morgan," he got to his feet, ready to head out with his friends, but stopped himself when he saw Kendall was still having a hard time moving around. He reached his hand out, offering to help her. As she leaned on him, he turned to her. "So, why exactly did Sledge show up?"

"He wanted the energem," Kendall answered. Tyler frowned.

"You didn't have it. The Prince did."

"Tell me about it," Kendall rolled her eyes. "He took off the first chance he got."

Tyler stopped walking and looked to Kendall. "What do you mean?"

"Sledge asked for the energem. The Prince refused to give it up and ran off, leaving me," Kendall looked up. "I couldn't exactly let Sledge get it, or hurt him. So I whacked Poisandra."

"She was there too?"

"Everyone but Fury," Kendall nodded. "Really, we were just missing him and a few Viviks to make it a real party."

"The Prince said he never saw you," Tyler frowned deeply. "We told him you went after him but he..."

"Then he lied," Kendall said. "You think I'd let Sledge do this if an energem wasn't involved?"

"He abandoned you?" Tyler asked. "He just up and ran and let Sledge do this?"

"Chivalry might be completely dead in Zandar," Kendall nodded. "Though, really, I should have seen that coming when he chose the energem over me with Fury."

"What?" Tyler gasped. Kendall looked up, shaking her head.

"Look, it's not important now. We've got the energem, a new Ranger, should Ivan ever come back, and the Prince is gone. It's over."

"He traded you? Twice?"

"Tyler, it's over," Kendall insisted. "Let's just forget about it, alright?"

Tyler gave a little nod, just for Kendall's sake, but refused to forget this. He hoped she was right. He hoped the Prince was gone for good. He wasn't sure what he would do to him if he ever came back.


End file.
